Nuevas Amenazas hacia las comunidades negras del Norte del Cauca / New Threats against the black communites of the north of Cauca

(en español)

THE PROCESS OF BLACK COMMUNITIES IN COLOMBIA PUBLICIZES THE FOLLOWING ACTS BEFORE THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY:

OCURRENCES:

1. The north of Cauca, specifically the municipalities of Suarez & Buenos Aires, is inhabited by a population that is 70% Afro-Colombian. These descendents of past slaves who now subsist from agriculture & mining are communities that have been an example of the construction of a grassroots peaceful resistance for the entire country.

2. Many Afro Colombian leaders have sacrificed their lives and personal interests to help in the construction of a national project that would help create the reconciliation needed within our society but with respect for our differences.

3. The north of the Cauca is a geographically strategic area that historically was a transportation corridor and still is of utmost environmental and mining importance. These reasons have caused that the region often finds itself in constant dispute with legal and illegal armed actors in addition to the particular interests of the companies such as AngloGold Ashanti, Union Fenosa and numerous timber companies.

4. In the region their are numerous organizations that are parts of the Process of Black Communities in Colombia- PCN- such as: Communal Councils, women's organizations, victims' organizations, groups of communal action, agricultural organizations and mining cooperatives. These groups constitute an invaluable and active defense of human rights and the promoting of initiatives seeking to better the quality of life for Afro Colombians.

5. It is note worthy the long tradition of struggle of these communities that have been mobilizing for hundreds of years for the right to freedom, of the most recent struggles it is important to take into account:

* The fight against the Salvajina Dam because of its negative impacts towards local communities. Since created in 1986 there have been several broken promises from the government towards the communities.

* The process of prior consultation in regards to the EPSA project of the canalization of the River Ovejas to enlarge the Salvajina reservoir.

6. In 2004, derived from these struggles, the Integrated Inter Ethnic Commission is constituted by local delegates from indigenous and black communities in the municipalities of Suárez, Buenos Aires & Morales. This is done with the accompaniment of the Association of Indigenous Cabildos from the North of Cauca- ACIN and the Process of Black Communities- PCN.

7. All the implemented or planned mega development projects for the region have contributed to the forced displacement and the deterioration of the economic, environmental, social and cultural rights of local communities. This has also deepened the inequality that exists between the region's inhabitants and populations in other parts of the country.


WE DENOUNCE:

1. In June 2000 the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia- AUC paramilitary group, took a public presence in the area of Buenos Aires and then Suarez. It maintained control of the area until 2004. As a product of this we have had a long history of massacres, selective assassinations, forced rationing of food, massive displacements, forced disappearances, the raping of women, and forced recruiting as some of the actions that were implemented against the population with the support of public security forces. One of the more well known massacres from the south of our country is one that happened in this territory, in Naya. In the case of Buenos Aires, these acts are part of a process of discussion and work around some pilot projects of collective reparations being promoted by the National Commission of Reparations and Reconciliation- CNRR. In spite of the previously mentioned acts, towards the end of 2007 there has been evidence of a paramilitary reorganization process in the region.

2. On October 9, 2007, 10 armed men from the Calima Bloc came to the residence of Clemencia Carabalí, member of The Municipal Association of Women of Buenos Aires –ASOM, located in the countryside of La Balsa, municipality of Buenos Aires. Clemencia, was interrogated for about 20 minutes about her personal activities. Clemencia, at this time was pregnant and the above mentioned encounter caused the death of her unborn child and forced her to relocate to the town of Santander de Quilichao where she remained for three months. When she returned to La Balsa, she was once again was forced to leave her home to go live in Santander de Quilichao in Feb. 2008 because of the frequent harassment from unknown individuals regarding her activities and where about.

3. In the month of May 2008 the compañero Robert de Jesús Guacheta was killed in the municipality of Morelos. He was the supplicant governor in his community and a member of the Inter Ethnic Commission.

4. The compañera Francia Elena Márquez, member of the Community Council for the countryside of La Toma in the municipality of Suárez is a dynamic youth organizer and member of the Association of Women of Yolombó and of the Inter Ethnic Commission has been subject to continued threats after her speaking in a communal hearing that was held with the government.

5. On May 29, 2009, in the office of the Municipal Association of Women located in La Balsa, an unknown man appeared asking for Clemencia Carabalí: "What has she been doing and where is she?" When the women said that she was not in the region, the man said that she better "take care of her family and mind her own business". A similar message was also left for the compañera Liliana Sandoval, also a member of ASOM, after he asked if she worked with Clemencia Carabalí. In the same way, various compañeras of ASOM have been threatened by means of phone calls on their cellular phones. All are asked if they work with Clemencia Carabalí and then they are told to take care of their families and to mind their own business.

These acts show that there is an insistent persecution against the relentless effort of peaceful resistance that these organizations do in defense of the communities' rights'. This persecution is brining drastic and irreparable consequences for the leaders of these organizations. From the intensification of the armed conflict in the regions inhabited by Afro descendent populations, the large number of assassinated leaders, family members and the more then one million people who are victims of internal forced displacement.

In recognizing the grave situation of the Afro descendent population in Colombia, the Constitutional Court regulated Auto 005 of 2009, in which it prioritizes the region of the North of Cauca, as an emblematic case in which there are specific orders that include:

* The Office of Social Action, in coordination with the territories it must design and put into action a specific plan for the protection and assistance of these communities, that must be functional by October 30, 2009.

* The Ministry of the Interior & Justice, must design no later then October 30, 2009, a plan to chart the collective and ancestral territories that are inhabited by the Afro-Colombian population.

* ORDERS that the Director of Social Action as coordinator of the National System of Attention to the Displaced Population, and CNAIPD, design a holistic plan for the prevention, protection and assistance of the Afro Colombian population. This must be done with full participation of the communities themselves and full respect of all selected authorities, those constituted and those from the respective territories. The Plan of Prevention, Protection and Assistance to the Afro Colombian population should be designed no later the January 18, 2010. The director of Social Action on July 1, 2010 should present a report regarding the advancement of the application of the holistic plan.

WE DEMAND:

1. The national government adopt the necessary measures to protect the lives of the leaders from the black communities of the municipalities of Suarez & Buenos Aires and the guarantee the right to a free, open and informative prior consultation, regarding any projects that would affect the communities' rights' and territory.

2. The local, departmental and national governments must protect as mandated the Colombian Law, the Convention 169 of the OIT and the Auto 005 of 2009, the right of black communities to remain in their territory. To comply; communities, organizations and leaders should be coordinated with to assure that the mechanisms and guarantees for the accomplishing of what is mandated by Auto 005 of 2009 and other measure related to the issue.

3. The government and the CNRR, adopt the necessary measures to guarantee the lives of the leaders, organizational members and communities that accepted to participate in the Pilot Program of Collective Reparation. Equally that measures be adopted that guarantee this exercise can advance without back track in regards of the right to autonomous participation of the communities, organizations and leaders.

4. We demand that the wave of threats, intimidation and assassination of community leaders and members of the Inter Ethnic Commission be investigated and that the appropriate measures be taken against those responsible.


El Proceso de Comunidades Negras –PCN urges the national and international community to demand that the Colombian government completely follow in compliance with the Auto 005 of 2009.


Human Rights Team
Proceso de Comunidades Negras en Colombia PCN
http://www.renacientes.org/

La nutria, el oso, el gusano y la libélula polinizaron un buen rato - The otter, bear, caterpillar & dragonfly pollinated a good while

Después de la pasada por Bacatá para el Festival por la Lucha y la Resistencia que conmemoraba un aniversario mas de la invasión, nuevamente tomamos vuelo pero esta ves tomando ruta al norte hacia el Eje Cafetero. Hace ya más de un año desde la primera visita a Manizales, volvemos a camellar con viejos amigos como el gusanito pati-frio, el oso panda de anteojos y la libelula. En tanto en otras partes del país la protesta popular continua, con la Minga de Resistencia y el Paro de los Corteros de Caña estas muestras de dignidad se expanden por todo el territorio viva y fulgurante muestra de ello es que durante los días de nuestro arribo a el pueblo originario de los Embera Chamí, estos estaban bloqueando la vía entre Manizales y Ríosucio, Caldas.

En una semana pudimos compartir varios espacios incluyendo un día en Neira -Caldas donde ayudamos preparar un abono orgánico, también visitamos los charcos del túnel en el Municipio de Villa Maria donde nos bañamos en aguas que bajan desde el Nevado del Ruíz. durante nuestro vuelo por Manizales se realizó cuenta cuentos con jóvenes anarko-punks, con estudiantes de los colegios Santa Luisa Maria en Villa Maria, Redentoristas en Manizales, otros espacios también nos abrieron sus alas y antenas como lo fue SINTRAELECOL el sindicato de electricistas, con sindicalistas e integrantes de la R.A.S.H. Manizales.

En la Universidad de Caldas tomamos espacios espontáneamente y tuvimos el privilegio de abrir el Ciclo de Sin-e Verde organizado por el Observatorio de Conflictos Ambientales y la red J.U.A.N., que se lanzó con la proyección de la película "Sed, invasión, gota, gota" sobre la problemática de la privatización del acuífero Guaraní en el norte de Argentina. Uno de los temas que se tocó en este espacio contextualizandolo a lo local es que las fumigaciones aéreas en el territorio de los Embera Chamí en Ríosucio, mas que una política de erradicación de "cultivos ilícitos" se configura como una forma de desplazamiento forzado debido a los interese privados por parte de Cartones de Colombia en los bosques nativos del territorio para la producción de cartón y papel, como sabemos este territorio es rico en minerales especialmente el oro, en donde entran a jugar las grandes multinacionales mineras (como la Anglo Gold Ashanti) que se beneficiarían de manera directa del desplazamiento de las comunidades indígenas alli asentadas , ya que no encontrarían ningún foco de resistencia a la hora de empezar con sus proyectos.

El 23 de octubre fue el paro nacional en apoyo de los Corteros y la Minga de los Pueblos. Varios acciones directas, marchas y eventos se realizaron al nivel nacional. Por la tarde acompañamos a indígenas estudiantes de los pueblos Embera Chamí, Kamsá, Nasa, Misak, Inga y Yanacona entre otros que realizaron un plantón en la Sede de Palo Grande de la Universidad de Caldas, las declaraciones de los estudiantes reivindicando la Minga Popular comunicándole a las personas que caminaban por la Avenida Santander todo al respecto sobre las actividades y el desarrollo de la lucha indígena por medio de pancartas y un equipo de sonido . En este espacio también se hizo un cuenta cuentos espontaneo que fue recibida con gusto por parte de los estudiantes como un pequeño aporte a los procesos que se están tejiendo.
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After passing through Bacatá for the Festival for Struggle and Resistance commemorating the anniversary of the invasion, we again take flight, but this time taking a northern route to the Eje Cafetero (coffee belt). For over a year since the first visit to Manizales, we return to work with old friends like cold-footed caterpillar, the spectacled panda bear and the dragonfly. Meanwhile in other parts of the country the popular protest, or the Minga of Resistance and the Stiking Sugarcane Cutters continue their fights with the utmost dignity that is expanding throughout the country and awakening many sectors of the populace that ahve been asleep for too long. During the days of our arrival in Manizales, the Original Peoples of the Embera Chami were blocking the road s between Riosucio and Manizales, Caldas.

In one week we shared in a number of spaces including a day trip to Neira, Caldas where we help prepare an organic fertilizer, also visited the tunnel´s swimming holes in the municipality of Villa Maria where we swam and dove in the waters that flow down from the Nevado del Ruiz. During our flight. story tellings were done in Manizale with young anarko-punks, with students from schools Santa Maria Luisa in Villa Maria, Redemptorists in Manizales as ell as other spaces that also opened their wings and antennae as it was in SINTRAELECOL, the electricians' union, where we shared with trade unionists and members of the R.A.S.H. Manizales.

At the University of Caldas we took spaces spontaneously and had the privilege of opening the Sin-e Verde Film Festival organized by the Observatory of Environmental Conflicts and the network JUAN. The festival was launched with the screening of the film "Thirst, invasion, drop, drop" which presented the issue of privatization of the Guarani aquifer in northern Argentina. One of the topics touched upon in this space relating to the local context is that the aerial spraying in the territory of the Embera Chami in Ríosucio, more than a policy of eradication of "illicit crops", it implemented as a form of forced displacement due to private interests on the part of companies like Cartones de Colombia in native forests of the territory for the production of cardboard, timber and paper. Also this territory is rich in minerals especially gold, which also attracts the interests of mining companies (such as Anglo Gold Ashanti) that would benefit from a direct displacement of indigenous communities living there since there would be nobody present to reject or resist these projects.

On Oct. 23 was the national strike in support of the Sugarcane Cutters and the Peoples´ Minga. Several direct action, marches and events took place at the national level. In the afternoon we accompanied indigenous Embera Chami, Kamsá, Nasa, Misak, Inga and Yanacona students who occupied the entrance of the Palo Grande campus of the University of Caldas. The entrance was adorned with statements on banners made by students demanding the rights of the Popular Minga as well as a soundsystem that projected the many short speeches given by students, communicating these messages to people who were walking down the Avenida Santander. This space we also did a spontaneous storytelling that was received with pleasure by students as a small contribution to the processes that are knitting.

Yolombo - Un pueblo más que el oro / Yolombo - A people more than gold

Despidiéndonos de nuestrxs amigxs, lxs hijxs del agua, salimos de Wampia y nos eovicamos por el río ovejas y seguimos hacia el municipio de Suarez, donde volvimos a una comunidad que hace poco conocimos: el Palenque Andino de Yolombó. Aunque fisiológicamente difícil de imaginar, a nosotras abejas, se nos pone la piel de gallina al estar nuevamente en un lugar tan especial y de una historia de lucha y resistencia de más de 450 años.

Aterrizamos donde nuestras viejas amigas y al llegar los niños nos pidieron sacar el telón grande para ver los imágenes y recontar la historia recordando sobre “las larvas del consumismo, que Monsanto hace venenos y las hormigas de la fiesta de hoy no comparten”. Esta vez se pudieron hacer las charlas de una manera más apropiada, ya que, después de estar varios días en la comunidad, se hicieron sólo hasta el último día. Como toda la miel que necesitamos para nuestro trabajo de polinizaciones es autogestionada y hemos estado en esta segunda gira por el suroccidente colombiano desde hace casi dos meses, ya casi todos nuestros recursos se nos han agotado. Pero acá se nos facilitó la posibilidad de trabajar unos días para conseguir recursos al tiempo que nos acercarnos más a la realidad de esta comunidad con la que hemos compartido y creado alianzas. Por dos días igual que lxs paisanos y paisanas de la región, entre tierra y piedra, agua y sudor, trabajamos en una mina de oro al lado del río Ovejas. Este trabajo no se entiende sólo viéndolo, hay que vivirlo para saber que el trabajo de la mineria es duro, agotador y doloroso.

Después de nuestra anterior visita, el alcalde del municipio desalojó a los mineros de las minas que venían desarrollando su labor de forma cooperativa por equipos. Ahora, esta mina está siendo trabajada por una retroexcavadora y los pocos mineros que quedan logran sacar migajas de lo que deja la maquina pesada. Esta vez trabajamos en un lugar a dos horas de camino de Yolombó, subiendo por el río Ovejas hasta llegar a una vereda llamado San Juan. Allí, los mineros forman sus equipos con cajón, pala, balde y batea trabajando en jornadas de 8 o 10 horas antes de regresar caminando otras dos horas. En este lugar, también había una retro trabajando que cada rato se acercaba a donde los mineros estábamos baruequiando y si no estábamos pendientes de agarran nuestras cosas y moverlas, la maquina las aplastaba. Era fuerte ver el contraste entre el blanco y gordo montado en su tecnología moviendo toneladas y temblando como gelatina pero sin botar sudor y el de todxs lxs otrxs minerxs afros con el barro por encima de sus botas pantaneras camellando muy duro con su cuerpo con tan sólo las herramientas básicas manuales que tenia. Sentimos y vivimos la dignidad de un pueblo que trabaja día tras día en condiciones extremas para proveer la materia cruda del capitalismo global y a la vez sostener a sus familias con las boronas que reciben y con las que ayudan a que un sistema mundial de parasitismo funcione. En esos dos días encontramos como 2 gramos - a $120 mil pesos dividido entre tres - que nos ayudaron a seguir polinizando. Lo que realmente ganamos fue el valorar mucho más su forma de vida por haber podido vivir su realidad.

El primer día que estuvimos en la mina, nuestra compañera amiga de la región se fue a una reunión en Popayán con otros líderes comunitarios con representantes de INGEOMINAS. Allá, irrespetuosamente la entidad les dijo a las comunidades de los municipios mineros que tenían la propuesta de crear “distritos mineros” en donde cada uno, incluyendo Suárez, tendrían la posibilidad de desarrollar por lo menos dos proyectos mineros al año. Lxs líderes presentes opusieron rotundamente que si el desarrollo implica que las grandes multinacionales se metan en la región con maquinaria pesada y químicos peligrosos como cianuro y mercurio, poniendo en peligro la territorialidad y autonomía de las comunidades ancestrales de afros e indígenas al no ser respetadas, es mejor no tener ese desarrollo en su región. Lo que se ha visto en Suárez es que la maquinaria como las retros han significado la apropiación extranjera de los metales preciosos y el aumento de accidentes y muertos en la minera, como los 21 que fallecieron en un derrumbe por una retro en octubre del año pasado. También el uso de químicos fuertes han contaminado las fuentes hídricas, envenenado la tierra, las plantas, los animales y otros seres.

Esta vez realizamos dos talleres, uno de ellos con lxs estudiantes de 3º, 4ª, y 5º de la Institución Educativa de Yolombó. En el primer taller con los estudiantes, lxs niñxs mencionaron que les pareciera más importante que el gobierno “usara ese dinero de la guerra para ayudar a los desplazados, construir más colegios y dar herramientas a lxs campesinxs en lugar de semillas transgénicas”. Un profe de la escuela contó en el taller que en 15 días iban a venir personas de UniCauca enviados por la Unión Fenosa para hacer la tercera ronda de estudios hidrológicos que buscan canalizar y desviar el río Ovejas para que alimente el embalse Salvajinas. Pronto van a llegar las personas que van a comenzar la consulta previa con la comunidad sobre este proyecto y es importante que no solamente se pronuncien los adultos sino también lxs jóvenes, niños y niñas en la consulta de este proyecto que si se realiza, seguramente cambiaría la comunidad y todo el territorio de manera irreversible y en su detrimento.

En el taller con los jóvenes se contextualizó la problemática del telón con lo que se está viviendo en la región. Un joven dijo que “acá vivimos rico. Podemos sacar oro cuando queramos, sin patrón, uno tiene su rancho con tierrita pa’ sembrar plátano, yuca y café. Pero por la envidia y el egoísmo, nosotros los jóvenes estamos perdiendo lo que tenemos acá. Los niños ven cosas en la televisión como la telenovela El Cartel que glorifican el narcotráfico y la violencia y los niños se ponen a copiar y desafiar eso. Necesitamos ponernos las pilas con lo que está pasando acá. Esta loma, pamba, entre Yolombó y Suárez la quiere comprar la multinacional Kedhada. No solamente para sacar oro sino también otros minerales como uranio. A la vez, Cartones de Colombia la quiso compara para implementar monocultivos de pino y eucalipto. Hay que valorar lo que tenemos, luchar por ella, sino, pues salir de acá para terminar en los barrios populares de las ciudad sin oportunidad de trabajo.”

Escuchar un joven hablar con tanta determinación nos tranquilizó. Un palenque, una comunidad, un pueblo como el de Yolombó hoy está enfrentándose a desafíos como multinacionales, no distintos a los amos esclavistas de hace más de 450 años. Sin embargo, mantiene sus raíces y herencia para seguir luchando como los demás. La asociación de mujeres de Yolombó está buscando acceder a la mismas loma de pamba para crear una granja integral y agroecológica como una fuente de ingresos autogestionados para ellas y sus familias. Entre sus tradiciones ancestrales y la innovación del presente, es evidente con ese ánimo de lucha que Yolombó puede seguir creciendo y expandiéndose como una comunidad libertaria de y para los descendientes de los ancestros africanos.

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Saying farewell to our friends, the children of the water, we left Wampia and found our way to the River Ovejas which we followed towards the town of Suarez, returning to a community that we met recently: the Andean Palenque of Yolombó. Although physiologically difficult to imagine, we bees get goose bumps to be back in a place so special with a story of struggle and resistance of more than 450 years.

Landing where our old friends live, as soon as we hit the earth the children asked us bring out the banner to see the big picture and remember the story about mentioning "the larvae of consumerism, that Monsanto makes poisons and the ants from the kareaoke party do not share." This time the talks could be done in a more appropriate way because, after several days of being in the community, the story tellings were done the final day. Being that all the honey that we need for our work is created through self-pollination and we have been on this second tour of southwestern Colombia for almost two months, almost all of our resources have been exhausted. But here we were provided the opportunity to work a few days to get resources while we get closer to the reality of this community with whom we have shared and developed alliances. For two days like the other compañerxs in the region, between earth and stone, water and sweat, we worked in a gold mine near the River Ovejas. This work is not understood just seeing it, we must live it to truely know what it is like to work in a mine, its hard, exhausting and painful.

After our previous visit, the mayor of the municipality evicted the miners in mines that had been developed through cooperative work in teams. Now, that mine is being worked by a backhoe and the few miners who were able to gather crumbs of what the heavy machine ry extracts. This time we worked at a place two hours away from Yolombó, going upstream by the River Ovejas to reach a rural area called San Juan. There, the miners formed their teams with drawer, shovel, bucket and wooden washing plate working days of 8 or 10 hours before returning walk another two hours. In this place, there was also a backhoe that all the time was nearing where the miners were washing and if we were not quick to grab our things and move, the machine we crush us. It was intense to see the contrast between white, over weight person mounted on his big technology moving tons yet trembling like jelly, but without the sweat and meanwhile all the black miners with mud above their boots working every last reserve of energy in their body with only the basic manual tools. To live and feel the dignity of a people who work day after day in extreme conditions to provide the raw matter of global capitalism and simultaneously support their families with crumbs while others receive the bulk of the wealth through the present global system of parasitism. In these two days we gathered about 2 grams - to $ 120 thousand pesos divided among three - that helped us to continue pollinating. What really earned was the appreciation for the way of life of our friends here and being able to live their reality.

The first day we were in the mine, our friend in the region went to a meeting in Popayan with other community leaders with representatives of INGEOMINAS. There, the entity told the communities , in a very disrespectful fashion, that the mining municipalities were proposed to be created into "mining districts" where everyone, including Suarez, would be able to develop at least two mining projects a year. The leaders present objected strongly that if development means that the multinational companies are getting into the region with heavy machinery and hazardous chemicals such as cyanide and mercury, threatening the territorial autonomy of theafro and indigenous communities not being respected, that it would be better to not have development in their region. What has been seen in Suarez is that the machinery as the backhoe have enabled foreign ownership of precious metals and the increase of accidents and fatalities in the mining, as the 21 who died in a landslide by a backhoe in October last year . Also, the use of harsh chemicals have contaminated water sources, poisoned the soil, plants, animals and other creatures.

This time we did two workshops, one with the students from 3rd, 4th and 5th of the Educational Institution of Yolombo. In the first workshop with the students, the children mentioned that they thought it more important that the government "use the money for the war to help the displaced, build more schools and provide tools to campesinos instead of genetically modified seeds." A teacher from the school told the workshop that in 15 days people from UniCauca were coming sent by the Union Fenosa to make the third round of hydrological studies that seek to channel and divert the River Ovejas to feed the reservoir Salvajinas. Soon they will reach the people with who they are going to start the prior consultation with the community on this project and it is important that not only adults but also the youth participate in the community consultation of this project, which if done, will surely change the community and region irreversibly and negatively.

The second workshop was contextualized with youth issues relavent to what is being lived in the region. A young man said that "we live here rich. We can get gold when we want, without a boss, we have our land and our rancho to plant banana, cassava and coffee. But because of the envy and selfishness, we're losing young people what we have here. Children see things on TV like the soap opera The Cartel that glorify drug trafficking and violence and children are set to copy and immitate that. We need to get our act together with what is happening here. This hill, Pamba, between Yolombó and Suarez is being solicited to be bought by the multinational Kedhada. Not only to get gold but also other minerals such as uranium. As if not enough, Cartones de Colombia wants to implement monocultures of pine and eucalyptus on the same hill. We must appreciate what we have, fight for it, because if we don´t we will be forced to leave here and end up in the poor neighborhoods of the city without any opportunity of work. "

Listening to the young man speak with such determination reassured us. A Palenque, a community, a people like those of Yolombó, today are facing challenges as multinational companies which are really not much different from the slave masters of more than 450 years ago. However, this community that maintains its roots and heritage to continue fighting as they always have. The women's association of Yolombó is seeking access to the same hill, Pamba, to create an agro-ecological farm to serve as an integral source of income and food for themselves and their families. Among their ancestral traditions and innovation, it is evident in that spirit of struggle that Yolombó can continue to grow and expand as a libertarian community of and for the descendants of African ancestors.

Yolombó: Entre agua y tierra / Yolombó: Between water and earth

Después de la humedad y del bosque tropical de Buenaventura, la mula, la pantera negra y la abeja, cruzamos la cordillera occidental y subimos por el Valle del Río Cauca al municipio de Suárez, departamento del Cauca. En las afueras del pueblo de Suárez pudimos quedarnos en la vereda de Yolombó, el Palenque más antiguo del norte del caucao. Arriba del Río Ovejas, esta comunidad sigue presente y en resistencia después de una historia larga de opresión desde hace más de 400 años en esta región, sin mencionar su robo y secuestro desde África. Como la cultura de las comunidades de esta zona, la región es rica en bienes naturales que han causado que la tierra haya sido constantemente amenazada por intereses económicos extraños.

En los días que estuvimos en la región, pudimos aprender sobre muchas de las luchas de épocas anteriores al igual que de las que se están realizando hoy en día. Un día que hubo un intercambio un poco mas formal, pudimos conocer la organización de mujeres de la vereda con quien compartimos el telón de Plan Colombia y las experiencias de lucha de las compañeras de “Take Back the Land”. Aunque hablamos mucho al comienzo, poco a poco las mujeres se animaron a compartir lo que han vivido, lo que piensan y lo que sueñan sobre cómo mejorar su situación y seguir desafiando las múltiples discriminaciones a que se enfrentan como mujeres negras campesinas.

Una de las primeras historias que escuchamos es que después que los ancestros de la comunidad, traídos desde el Ecuador, pudieron escapar de la esclavitud, se asentaron alrededor del Río Ovejas. En los años 1890’s con la construcción de la antigua línea del ferrocarril que pasaba por la región, los constructores desplazaron a muchas familias diciéndole a las personas que su montaña estaba en una falla geológica por lo que en cualquier momento la montaña se les iba venir encima (los constructores no mencionaron que una gran parte de Colombia es una falla geológica y esta zona no era de mayor riesgo que muchas partes de la región andina).

Ya en los 1980’s, 90 años después, comenzaron los problemas con los intereses hidroeléctricos en el territorio. En 1983 se comenzó la construcción de la represa de Salvajina por el Río Cauca arriba del pueblo de Suárez. En 1985 cuando la represa se terminó, y el embalse empezó a llenarse con agua, las familias que no vendieron sus tierras porque no quieran perder su territorio ancestral, salieron corriendo con las cosas que pudieron cargar mientras que el nivel del agua los perseguía. Debajo de la superficie de la Salvajinas quedó un cementerio Afro ancestral que tiene más de 400 años. Además se perdieron más de 3,000 trabajos de minería artesanal que eran un gran aporte económico para las familias de la comunidad. También con la construcción de la represa llegaron muchas personas que no eran de la región trayendo problemáticas sociales que no existía antes como la prostitución juvenil y drogadicción.

El embalse es 32 Km de largo por un Km de ancho y tiene aproximadamente 150 m de profanidad. Produce electricidad para vender al Ecuador mientras que las familias de la región producen su electricidad por medio de una pequeña planta que queda por el Río Ovejas que pertenece a la empresa Colombiana Cedalca. En el año 1990 la Salvajinas fue privatizada por Unión Fenosa que también tiene intereses de apoderarse de la planta que queda por el río Ovejas. Aunque hay un embalse gigante que produce electricidad para Ecuador, el Salvajinas está rodeado por casas en las montañas que no tienen ni electricidad ni agua. Por otro lado, esta fuente de agua artificial ha causado cambios climáticos a nivel local ya que en días nublados el frío del agua ha causado que muchos cultivos de tierra caliente como la yuca ya no se dan con tanto éxito como antes.

En 1993 se anunciaron los planes para desviar el Río Ovejas para que desembocara en el embalse. Este peligro causó movilizaciones de las comunidades de la región en protesta en contra este megaproyecto tan dañino para el territorio y sus habitantes. Por medio de la Ley 70, las comunidades Afros pudieron demandar un estudio de impacto del proyecto que declaró que éste tenía apenas cinco aspectos positivos pero más de 50 consecuencias negativas. Gracias a este estudio, el proyecto fue archivado ese año, pero desafortunadamente, en 2004, el proyecto fue desarchivado por Union Fenosa que sigue impulsando el desvío del río. Veintidós años después de la Salvajinas, el río Cauca no se usa casi para pescar, bañar, beber, irrigar u otros usos que sostienen la vida. El río Ovejas es el único río que mantiene muchos de las especies nativas de peces de la región de los que dependen las comunidades al ser su alimento. También mantiene la ecología natural que sirve para el bienestar y subsistencia de los que viven a su alrededor. Fue la relación con este río y la lucha protegerlo lo que motivó a muchos de los jóvenes de la región a rescatar y mantener las costumbres y tradicionales ancestrales de su comunidad.

Por las montañas, alrededor del embalse, se ven tierras bastante taladas y erosionadas de su flora natural. Los únicos bosques que se ven son de pino sembrado en monocultivo. El pino, una especia que no es nativa, seca y degrada los nutrientes de los suelos en una zona de topografía muy variada que ya sufre problemas de erosión. Son estos bosques, como los de eucalipto y los de palma aceitera para crear agro combustibles, los que están siendo impulsados y apoyados por el gobierno en los dudosos proyectos de reforestación. El pino de esta zona, como el de muchas otras partes, se usa para producir productos de papel y cartón con métodos que desperdician el agua y el suelo, usando bastantes químicos como blanqueadores en su producción. Los bosques alrededor de la Salvajinas son para vender la materia prima a la empresa Cartón de Colombia. Encima y a los alrededores de la represa hay dos batallones de alta montaña del ejército Colombiano. Desde que estos se ubicaron allí, los soldados han disparado hacia los campesinos que siempre cultivaron y practicaron la minería en estas tierras. Es así como se ve que por la represa no solamente se han perdido estas prácticas tradicionales en la zona que quedó bajo el agua del embalse, sino también en todas las tierras que quedan en los alrededores de las instalaciones de la represa.

Explorando más la región y sus problemáticas, abajo del pueblo de Suárez visitamos una mina artesanal explotada de forma tradicional por los habitantes de la zona. Está ubicada entre los acueductos y una piscina que antes era el campamento donde vivían los obreros que construyeron el embalse. Aunque la represa ya tiene 22 años y la lucha relacionada con ella es en contra el desvío del Río Ovejas, también hay otro desafío en este territorio. Las comunidades de esta zona se identifican como Agromineros que viven de cultivar la tierra pero también de la minería artesanal de oro. Pero ahora, este mineral que les ha ayudado a sobrevivir desde siglos atrás, es la razón para que esta tierra y sus habitantes estén amenazados por intereses extraños. Además de los intereses energéticos relacionados al embalse, están los intereses de las empresas mineras industriales.

El corredor en donde queda el embalse, el pueblo de Suárez, la vereda de Yolombó y el Río Ovejas es de aproximadamente 7,000 ha. La infame empresa minera sudafricana Anglo Gold Ashanti, localmente conocida como Kedahda, está solicitando al Estado colombiano una concesión de 6,500 ha para explotar el oro con grandes minas a cielo abierto en la región. Aunque la minería artesanal tiene los riesgos de derrumbes, el peligro al que se exponen los mineros nunca alcanza a ser de la misma escala al que se exponen los que trabajan en las grandes minas que usan maquinaria pesada y químicos peligrosos. Hace casi un año, debajo de la represa, más de 20 personas murieron cuando una retroexcavadora causó un derrumbe en una de estas minas no tradicionales. Además, con minería de esta escala, los peligros no son solamente para las personas que van a trabajar en las minas, sino también para todos los seres, el agua, la tierra y el aire de la región. La practica de destruir montañas, canalizar y envenenar ríos, masacrar y desplazar comunidades humanas y no humanas, es la más destructiva que podría suceder a cualquier comunidad.

Al visitar la mina, la pantera negra y la abeja nos adentramos por los túneles a una de ellas. Colgados por un lazo, descendimos aproximadamente 10 metros bajo la superficie de la tierra, para después, agachados entre arcilla, agua y oscuridad, empezar a sacar a la superficie tierra por estos túneles de 5 metros de profundidad en baldes que se cuelgan del mismo lazo. Aunque estuvimos poco tiempo en la mina, pudimos ayudar y compartir con mujeres y hombres trabajando junto a ellos la minería hombro a hombro. El trabajo es pesado no solamente por el riesgo de las minas sino también por el desgaste físico que implica trabajar en esas condiciones. Sin embargo, a pesar de estas condiciones, los grupos de trabajo son de familias y amigos que mantienen un tejido de apoyo y colaboración muy fuerte. Las personas pueden trabajar a la hora que escogen, y el trabajo al igual que las ganancias, se comparten entre todos.

Desafortunadamente, el día antes de que visitáramos la mina, es decir el 30 de agosto, llegó la policía municipal con una orden de desalojo de los mineros que estaban trabajando allí. El Alcalde del municipio dice que supuestamente la orden está fuera de sus manos y que se dio tal orden por que esta mina es ilegal y por sus condiciones representa un riesgo para todos los que trabajan allí. En términos jurídicos los bienes públicos del municipio están bajo el control del Alcalde y esa persona es la única que puede decidir si los mineros pueden quedarse o no.

Esta semana nos llegó la noticia de que la policía desalojo a los mineros que estaban trabajando allí. Muchas de las personas creen que tras el desalojo están los intereses de la Kedahda que quiere apropiarse de esta mina creada con el sudor de las personas que allí trabajan. Ya se sabe que van a llevar retroexcavadoras en el área para seguir explotando el oro. Con las técnicas de la minería industrial, no solo se pierden las practicas tradicionales de minería que tienen un bajo impacto ambiental, sino que también el apoyo, la dignidad y la colaboración entre los y las minerxs, es decir, el tejido social construido sobre las relaciones que imponía la explotación de la mina.

Cuando estuvimos en la mina un minero nos dio la bienvenida, como todos siempre hacían, y nos agradeció por venir a ver la realidad de su comunidad. En un momento nos dijo que "esto es de lo que podemos vivir, si nos sacan de acá ¿qué otras opciones quedan?, ¿cultivos ilícitos?, ¿integrarse a un grupo armado? Nos van quitando las opciones de una vida digna. No hay nada más triste que un padre o una madre que no puede darle de comer a sus hijos." Por ahora seguimos pendientes de los compañeros y compañeras de Yolombó para saber cómo sigue la situación de la mina, cómo se les puede apoyar y esperamos volver para continuar compartiendo conocimientos y experiencias.

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After the humidity and tropical forests of Buenaventura, the mule, black panther and bee crossed over the cordillera occidental and went up the Cauca river valley to the municipality of Suarez, Cauca where we stayed in the countryside of Yolombó, the oldest Palenque in the north Cauca region. Just uphill from the River Ovejas, this community continues to be present and in resistance after a long history of over 400 years of oppression in this region, without mentioning their theft and kidnapping from Africa. Parallel to the areas culture, the region is also rich in what are called natural resources, which have caused the land to be constantly threatened by foreign economic interests.

In the days that we were in the region we were able to learn a great deal about struggles from past times as well as those struggles that are being lived today. One day that we had a more formal exchange, we were able to meet with Yolombó’s women’s organization and shared the Plan Colombia Graphics as well as the experiences from the struggle of the compañeras with “Take Back the Land”. Even though we spoke a bit much at the beginning, lil by lil the women stepped up to share what they had lived, what they thought and what they dreamed to better their economic situation as well as face the multiple discriminations that they encounter as black campesina women.

One of the first stories we heard about was that after the ancestors of the locals of the community, who were brought through Ecuador, were able to escape slavery they settled all around the River Ovejas. In the 1890’s with the building of now gone train line that passed through the region, the construction displaced many families who were told that their homes were on a geological fault line and at any moment their mountain would fall on them (the construction company did not mention that most of Colombia lay on a fault line and this area was no more at risk then many areas in the Andean region).

In the 1980’s, 90 years later, the problems associated with hydroelectric interests came into the region. In 1983 the construction was started on the Salvajinas Dam on the river Cauca above the town of Suarez. In 1985 when the Dam was finished and the reservoir began to fill, the families that had not sold their lands because they did not want to loose their ancestral territory had to run with what they could carry as the water level rose. Under the surface of the Salvajinas remains an ancestral Afro cemetery that is over 400 years old. In addition more then 3,000 traditional mining jobs were lost, a massive blow to the income of the families in the community. Also with the dam’s construction a lot of people arrived from other regions bringing new social problems like adolescent prostitution and drug addiction.

The reservoir is about 32 Km long, a Km wide and about 150m deep. It produces electricity to sell to Ecuador while the families from the region affected produce their electricity by means of a small plant on the River Ovejas that belongs to Colombian company Cedalca. In 1990 the Salvajinas was privatized by company Union Fenosa that is also interested in taking over the plant that is on the River Ovejas. While the giant reservoir produces electricity for Ecuador, the surrounding mountains are scattered with homes that do not have electricity or running water. Also this artificial body of water has caused local climate changed to more frequent cloudy and cold days which has been the cause for many warm weather crops like yuca to not cultivated as plentifully as before.

In 1993 the plans were announced to rechannel the route of the River Ovejas and have it feed into the reservoir. This threat caused mobilizations from the region’s communities against the environmentally destructive mega project. By means of the Law 70, Afros communities have a right to an impact study of the project which reported only a mere five positive impacts compared to over 50 negative consequences from the project. Thanks to this study the project was shelved though unfortunately in 2004 the project was revived by Union Fenosa that continues to pressure to be able to reroute the river. Twenty-two years after the Slavajinas, the river Cauca is barely used to bathe, swim, fish, drink, irrigate or for other life sustaining practices. The river Ovejas is the only river that maintains many of the regions native fish species that the communities depend upon for food. The river is also in an ecological balance that it can serve for the well being and subsistence of the surrounding communities. It was the relation to this river that prompted the struggle to protect it as well as motivate the youth to start rescuing and maintaining their ancestral traditions and customs in their communities.

On the mountains surrounding the reservoir the land is very deforested of its native flora and affected by erosion. The only forests are monocrops of pine, a species not native to the region that dries and degrades the soils nutrients in an area with varied topography that already suffers from problems of erosion. It is these forests, as those of eucalyptus and those of the oil palm that is used to make agro fuels, that are being pushed and supported by the State in very suspicious projects of “reforestation”. The pine in this area, as in most places, is to produce papers and cardboard with methods that are wasteful of water and soil and use chemicals like bleaches in their production. The forests around the Salvajinas are to sell raw material to the company Cartón de Colombia. On top of and around the dam there are two high mountain army battalion bases. Since these were located here the soldiers have fired upon campesinos that were planting or mining on these lands. In that way even the land that the dam did not leave under water has been lost to the projects installations.

Exploring more of the region and some of its other confrontations we went below the town of Suarez visiting a traditional mining site being worked by the people of the region. It is located between some aqueducts as well as a swimming pool in what was once the camp where the dam’s construction workers lived. Even though the dam is 22 years old and the struggle against it as well as the re routing of the river Ovejas continues, there is also another threat to the region. These communities identify as Agrominers that live from agriculture as well as small scale traditional gold mining. Though now, this mineral that helped them survive for so long is the same reason that this land and its inhabitants are faced with the threat of new foreign interests. In addition to the energy interests surrounding the dam, there are also the interests of industrial mining companies.

The corridor where the reservoir Salvajinas, the town of Suarez, the countryside of Yolombó and the river Ovejas are located is approximately 7,000 ha. The infamous South African mining company Anglo Gold Ashanti, locally known as Kedahda, is soliciting the Colombian State for a concession of 6,500 to perform strip gold mining in the region. While traditional small scale mining has its dangers like landslides, the danger that miners are exposed to never reaches the scale that the miners in large industrial mines that used heavy machinery and dangerous chemicals. It has almost been a year when just below the dam more than 20 people died when a bulldozer caused a land slide in a large mine. In addition, the mining of this scale brings dangers that are not only threatening those who are working in the mine though to all the beings, water, land and air in the region. The practice of destroying mountains, canalling and poisoning rivers, to massacre and displace communities of humans and non humans, is of the most destructive things that could happen to any community.

In visiting the mine the Black Panther and the bee entered one of the openings into the tunnel below. Hanging by just a single rope, we descended about 10 meters from the surface of the Earth to later be kneeling down in clay, water and darkness. Once adjusted, we went down another 5 meter tunnel to start taking the outer crust of the Earth in buckets that were pulled up by the same rope. While we were only in the mine a short time, we were able to help and share with women and men working together in the mine, shoulder to shoulder. It is a hard work, not only cause of the risk of being in the mines though also the physical wear and tear of the working conditions. Regardless of these conditions the work groups are families and friends that maintain a strong weaving of mutual aid and collaboration. People can work when they want and the work as well as the earnings is shared amongst everyone.

Unfortunately the day before we visited the mine, August 30th, the municipal police came giving orders for everyone to vacate and that the mine was being closed. The municipality’s mayor claims that it is out of his control and that the order was given because the mine is illegal and the conditions of the mine are dangerous to the people who are working there. In judicial terms the public goods of the municipality are under control of the Mayor and this is the only person that can give the order for the miners to go or stay.

This week we were informed that the police returned to the mine and forced all the miners from the site. Many believe that Kedahda is interested in the mine and attempting to appropriate the mine that was discovered and created from the labor and sweat of the people who worked it. It is already known the bulldozers are going to be put into the site to continue extracting the gold. With the industrial mining techniques not are only the traditional self subsistence, low environmental impact mining practices lost, though also the support, dignity and collaboration amongst the miners. In other words the social weaving created through the mining are now replaced with domination and exploitation.

When we were in the mine one miner gave us a special welcome, as everyone did, and he thanked us for coming there and seeing the reality of his community. In one moment he said that "this is what we are able to live from. If they take us out of here, what other options do we have? Grow illicit crops? Join an armed group? They are taking away the options we have to a life with dignity. There is nothing sadder then a father or mother that can’t give their children something he eat." For now we are in contact with the compañeros and compañeras of Yolombó to know how their situation evolves, how they can be supported and hope to plan a return to continue sharing skills and experiences with them.